Tourism as a growth and development engine What strategies are best for sustainable development of touristic sites

The 2nd Tourism Summits
Chamonix Mont-Blanc
Geneva

Tourism is becoming the most important economic sector worldwide, as well as an essential human activity in the third millennium, so it now demands a global vision.  The city of Chamonix Mont-Blanc, one of those special territories where tourism was invented, wants to be - with this second international session - a laboratory for innovations allowing more sustainable development of tourism on a planetary scale�, emphasises Michel Charlet, Mayor of Chamonix Mont-Blanc and President of the Association of Tourism Summits.

The Chamonix Mont-Blanc-Geneva World Tourism Summits aim at presenting the various dimensions involved in sustainable development thanks to annual conferences and special seminars.

In 1999, the Tourism Summits emphasised the ecological aspects.  In the year 2000, they will deal with Tourism and Growth, and then in 2001 with social aspects and in 2002 culture.

The year 2000 version will rough out the challenges and the impacts, as well as the obstacles to growth of this industry in the era of globalisation.

The World Tourism Summits will clarify the factors making for long-term success of sustainable economic growth of destinations, enabling touristic sites to survive : a real vade-mecum for all participants associated with this year 2000 session : policy deciders, economic players, and researchers and association officials, involved in the fast-moving developments in the tourism field.

For the year 2000 this high-level international meeting is sponsored by numerous important figures:

• Michelle Demessine, French Secretary of State for Tourism, 
• Pascal Couchepin, Federal Counsellor, Swiss government (Economics), 
• Roger Dehaybe, General Manager of the International Organization of the French Speaking Community, 
• Francesco Frangialli, Secretary-General of the World Tourism Organisation, Anne-Marie Comparini, President of the Rhône-Alpes Regional Council, as well as 
• Ernest Nycollin President of the General Council of Haute-Savoie.

Partners for the year 2000 programme : 

• the State Secretariat for Tourism, 
• the Rhône-Alpes Regional Council, 
• the General Council of Haute-Savoie, 
• the Lake Annecy District Association (SILA), 
• the National Association of Travel Agents ( SNAV), 
• the International Organization of the French Speaking Community, Mont-Blanc Region,  
• the Republic and the Canton of Geneva, the City and the Tourism Office of Geneva, 
• Accor,
• Swissair, 
• Geneva Airport, 
• the Grand Saint-Bernard Tunnel, 
• EMA Foundation�